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Friday, October 21, 2016

Babies in the Pew

From the title of this post you think you know where I’m going with this, but I bet you’re wrong. This is not a rant on whether or not I think children should be allowed in “big church”. Nope. I’m not going that way at all. Ha! In fact, I’m certain that the Bible pretty effectively addresses that issue, so I don’t need to go there.
This past Sunday, miracle of all miracles happened. Not only were we not late for church, but we were EARLY. What?!?!?! That never happens anymore. Like I can’t express that enough. NEVER. Ellis was in big church with us and Dutch was in the nursery. Ellis’ 2nd feeding of the morning always happens during big church so I just wear her during service and then take her to her Sunday School class when we go to our class. In true, Type A fashion, the Mr. and I were in the front and I was wearing Ellis. We run like clockwork folks; Mr. & Mrs. Predictable. We always sit close to the front, but because we were so early on Sunday, no one sat in front of us. No big deal, we’re in the front.

That is until Ellis is ready for that 2nd feeding. In the past I have gone to the nursing room, but lately (like the past month or so) I have just covered myself and tucked between the Mr. and a blanket and remained in the auditorium to nurse. Baby is quiet to eat and fall asleep and I can worship next to my husband. This is a big thing for me. I know that as Christians we can worship anywhere, but I truly desire to sit next to my husband during service. Thus the past few weeks I’ve just been nursing during big church instead of leaving.

So back to this past Sunday. Ellis is ready for her feeding and I go to feed her, only to realize (as I’m getting situated if you know what I mean) that I’m sitting in the front of the church. No one is in front of me. No one EXCEPT the pastor and the choir and the orchestra; all watching me get ready to nurse my kid. Thank you Lord for your perfect timing…. even in the embarrassing times. It gets better folks. So the message on Sunday was about 1 Peter 2:1-3:

“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good”

As the pastor breaks down this verse of scripture and I nursed my baby, I felt like we gave a nod to each other. It was all relevant and the most perfect timing. This entire experience, us being early to sit in the front without anyone in front of us and reading a scripture on milk as I nursed my child, was no coincidence. God doesn’t work like that; He has a purpose for everything.

Like a newborn baby craves and depends on milk, we should also being cultivating a hunger for God’s word and a relationship with the Father. We are God’s children and if we were acting like His children, we should be learning how to grow our spiritual selves. In that sense, we all are babies, and we as the body of Christ are the babies that should be flooding the church pews to grow and mature our spiritual lives.

Much like babies who need their mother's milk to survive, so we also need the pure nurishing and filling Word to grow in our own salvation. Thank you Lord for painting such a vibrant and clear picture for me (and the pastor, choir, & orchestra and anyone who might actually read this ole blog of mine) of what it means to crave the word, and to be a child of God on the front row thirsty to be fed. Truly my friends, taste and see, that the Lord is in fact so good.

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Very nice post! Good thoughts for sure! Also, I love your images! Any chance you want to share that first image of the pews without any writing? I think it would be lovely to add a verse over and maybe give it as a gift to my parents. :) Your eye for photography is lovely!